Just A Thought

It was a special occasion day and I was enjoying a vigorous walk, with my beautiful wife, along the edge of the sea. At several points in our excursion we encountered individuals who were accompanied by their best friends – their dogs. As these good people worked their way down the trail we watched their canine companions crisscross the path, diligently marking new territory. Naturally their furry friends also eventually stopped to make other deposits. It was as I watched these caring people dutifully pull small plastic bags from their pockets, scoop up their pet’s waste and then carry their smelly cargo on down the path that I pondered this question: “What would happen if we showed as much devotion to our families as we do to our pets?”

I have seen people go to extraordinary lengths to care for their dogs. They will take them for long walks, in inclement weather, stopping whenever called upon, and pleasantly providing a one-sided conversation along the way. I have personally paid a great deal of money for my dogs’ food, lodging, toys and accessories. Some devoted dog owners are willing to spend hundreds of dollars just to include their puppy on a cross-country vacation. This sometimes includes choosing a different hotel and finding eating and entertainment establishments that make allowances for their particular type of traveling companion. I’ve known people who can barely pay their rent, but they gladly spend a major portion of their budget on high quality dog foods and high dollar boarding arrangements. Then there are the doctor bills which most people pay out of pocket – the extent and the costs of pet care are now rivaling those of human health care. Yet, with tender hearts, we pay.

My purpose in commenting on these observations is not to pass judgment, but to spark contemplation. It strikes me that we will often gladly do for our pets what we might resent doing for our families. Think about it:
  • Do you give family members as many back rubs as you give your dog?
  • Would you forgive you children for using the restroom on the floor as easily as you forgive your dog?
  • How many times are you willing to get up in the middle of the night for a child?
  • While going to the store, are you willing as to stop and wait for a dawdling 6 year old who is curious   about something along the way?
  • Do you lavish just as many reassuring and complimentary comments on people as you do pets?

Human beings have an immense capacity for devotion. Our relationships with our pets prove that. It is my theory that people are more loving and kinder than they care to show other humans. Pets are often easier to lavish love upon, because they don’t talk to us, neither do they talk to others about us. I make no criticism of those devoted to their pets, but I believe our devotion to our fellow man and to our God can be an even more meaningful and rewarding venture.

St Paul advised, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10 NIV) King Solomon’s wisdom caused him to pray like this: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in all of heaven above or on the earth below. You keep your covenant and show unfailing love to all who walk before you in wholehearted devotion.” (1 Kings 8:23 NLT)

Devotion – you’ve got it in you. Take a risk and invest it in your fellow man and in your Creator. The fruit of such devotion will be amazing and eternal.

It seems like every people group on the face of the earth and every historical era has produced a person or group of people who is fascinated with the idea of living forever. The Greeks and Romans expressed it in myths, some have embarked on pilgrimages, and a few, like Juan Ponce de León, have even launched expensive explorations in search of places like “The Fountain of Youth”. The evidence points to a universal awareness that life consists of far more than our few short years on terra firma. Furthermore, mankind’s great scientific and educational advancements have not changed the innate awareness of eternity, rather they have provided new venues through which people have pursued immortality.
According to John Ortberg, “In Scottsdale, Arizona, there is a company called Alcor Life Extension Foundation, which is the largest cryonics foundation in the world. For a healthy fee, your body can be frozen at the point of death. Your blood will be filled with anticoagulants, and then you will be stored in a capsule of liquid nitrogen that will freeze you to minus 320 degrees Fahrenheit until you can be reheated later like a pizza and advanced medical technology can cure whatever diseases killed you. Or, if you don’t like being cold, a Seattle company called Immortal Genes offers “eternity in a paperweight.” For fifty dollars they will preserve your DNA in a little box for the next ten thousand years so you can be cloned whenever it’s convenient. They also offer a ten-thousand year, money-back guarantee, though it’s hard to say who will collect it if things go wrong.” (When The Game Is Over It All Goes Back In The Box)
Have you ever found yourself pondering the meaning of life… the possibility of life after death…. the curiousness of so many near death experiences and unexplainable stories about people who encounter the life beyond? How is it that, in spite of pressure from so many sources to suspend belief in heaven, so many well-educated, productive people throughout the world are so convinced that there is life after death?
Take Christians for an example. Have you ever wondered why the death of one teacher who lived two thousand years ago had such a lasting effect on mankind? He impacted his world before He died, but not nearly as dramatically as He has since His death. The reason: He didn’t just talk about life after death; He came back from the dead. Jesus demonstrated that His claims about being God in flesh and the giver of everlasting life were not just egotistical tirades. His empty grave, a befuddled Roman government, an outwitted Jewish Sanhedrin, and hundreds of eyewitnesses who were willing to give their lives to back the story of Jesus’ resurrection stand as evidence that eternal life is real.
In light of this understanding, believers have described this life as the “womb of eternity”. For children of God, death is just a birth canal. Meaning, there’s a whole eternity waiting for those who put their confidence in Christ. Just as a fetus has eyes that cannot see, ears that cannot hear, lungs that cannot breath, a tongue that cannot taste, believers know that there’s a whole new dimension that has been prepared for them even though they have never experienced it. Like a baby who is feeling restricted and can’t wait to get out, believers are always longing for the eternal life that was promised to them that believe. Are you prepared for forever? Because, this life is just the womb of eternity.

They said it was the best restaurant of it’s kind in the metro area. I had heard that kind of talk before. I had often been disappointed. But when we arrived, we found mobs of people who were willing to wait for at least an hour, and maybe two, just to be seated. I was beginning to believe.

Several hours later I was sampling delicious, slow cooked ribs, sausage, brisket, home made bread, and wonderful side dishes. They were right. That restaurant became one of my favorite places to eat. It was so good that I have since had their food air-mailed across the U.S.A for special occasions. I tasted. I was convinced.

You may have heard people talk about how much they love God or about how wonderful it is to filled with the Holy Spirit. You may have been cautious or even doubtful. If you take your cues from Hollywood, the Ivy League, or Washington you may even be more cynical. I don’t blame you. I’ve heard a lot of things touted as wonderful that didn’t do much for me. But, you may have noticed that people keep lining up for what God has to offer.

May I suggest a cure for curiousness? Do what the Bible suggests: “O taste and see that the Lord [our God] is good! Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts and takes refuge in Him.” (Psalm 34:8 AMP) You can try it for yourself. I’m not talking about church or religion, I’m talking about an encounter with God.

I have been around church for all my life and have seen hundreds of people who were seeking true love, joy and peace. I have watched them taste and see that it’s really as good as people say. Now, not all of them value their new found joy enough to continue in that relationship, but I’ve rarely seen anyone who was truly seeking God who did not rejoice when they were finally able to break through to a genuine relationship with Him.
Allow me to recommend three ways in which I have seen many people prove God for themselves:

1. See if God answers prayer. Keep in mind that he doesn’t respond to threats or demands. But I have often witnessed very creative responses to those who have sincerely approached God and asked Him to reveal Himself to them.
2. Find some people who have found a good place to worship and tag along for a few services. Make sure the people you worship with have found more than religion. You may have to try more than one place before finding the one that is worth the extra effort.
3. When you pray or attend church, go with an open mind and an open heart. If you are not willing to really taste what God is offering, you won’t ever really know what all the fuss is about.
Who knows, next month you may be the one who is raving about how wonderful it is to be forgiven, or washed of your sins, or filled with the Holy Spirit. You may have been driving past the best place of worship in town for years. You may have had a hard time believing in God because of some of the characters who have claimed to know Him. But you wouldn’t stay away from the best restaurant in town just because some questionable patrons eat there, would you? Taste and see for yourself!